Charcoal

Charcoal is the novel’s red herring. Early in the novel, Monique asks Sarah to borrow some charcoal for a barbecue. When the fires break out, it is naturally assumed the charcoal was used to start the fire, either intentionally or accidentally, but this turns out not to be the case.

Greene's questions

Ryan Greene’s questions are omens that symbolize both doubt and dark things to come. Greene asks Sarah and Johnny very personal and very probing questions in order to get to the truth of things. Greene’s questions about Sarah’s marriage, for example, Sarah shrugs off for the most part though it causes some doubt. She is able to shrug off these questions until she realizes that Johnny may have indeed cheated on her – and that any of her neighbors could be the arsonist.

Adultery article

An adultery article symbolizes suspicion. Sarah...